When Brooklyn, New York, native Jordan Kaplan began playing piano by ear at the young age of 8, he did not need any prompting by his mom, a classical pianist herself. He began his professional career by entertaining brunch goers at the Kitty Hawk restaurant in midtown Manhattan at the age of 12. When he was a child, his family moved to Merrick, Long Island. He was inspired by the song writing of local recording and story telling legends like Billy Joel and Harry Chapin. Jordan decided to pursue a music career by the time he was 15 years old. He played the lead in various high school musicals and dramas.

In 1981, Jordan performed in musicals with the Hempstead Repertory Theatre and the Long Island Theater company. He also played prominent roles in various college and community musical theater productions over the next 4 years.

In 1985, at the age of 21, Jordan recorded a solo album entitled “Hey Kid,” which produced the regional hit song “Going Back to Boston.” The album received critical acclaim and received substantial radio play in the Boston area. You can hear his original music playing on the home page of this website.

Jordan pioneered his college radio station, WBCR, doing DJ and production work, while honing his keyboard skills with his Boston-based group “The New Tabooz.” After moving back home to New York in 1986, he joined the popular metro area & Long Island wedding band “A Touch of Class.”

Jordan then joined an extremely talented Astoria-based group known as “The Soft Touch Orchestra,” playing at hundreds of dances and weddings at American Legion, VFW, Masonic and catering halls across Long Island and Queens, from 1988 to 1995.

Jordan has stuck to his roots, keeping his hand in rock & roll, playing with his Long Island wedding and party band “GiftBox” at literally hundreds of gigs since 1995. In 2008, GiftBox had the honor and privilege of accompanying international recording star/singer/songwriter/playwright Rupert Holmes, while he sang his world famous Escape (The Pina Colada) song at a wedding in Scarlsdale, NY.

Jordan Kaplan was honored in 2012 and appointed Grand Organist of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in the State of New York.

Tom Rizzacasa began playing bass when he was 12 years old, and his music activities have been reverberating throughout the Northeast ever since. Originally focused on jazz, his multi-instrumental and composing abilities have made him an in-demand musician on both the studio and live performance scenes. His repertoire today spans from big band and standards to hip-hop and punk. A resident of Astoria, Queens, Tom’s day job is as a research analyst at The Conference Board.

David Newman has been playing guitar and singing since his days in elementary school and, in his own words, “kept on going in high school, playing all genres in bands with some crazy silly names.” He has performed and recorded throughout the New York metropolitan area and the Southeast and has been with GiftBox since its inception. David’s work with the band, combined with his day job in manufacturing, help him indulge his love of guitars and assorted instruments, accessories and other musical gear. He loves to perform magic and considers being in front of an audience and seeing them have a good time one of life’s great pleasures.

Phil Sala began playing drums at the age of 7 and was immediately “hooked.” A veteran of the Lindenhurst Marching Band during his high school days in the mid-1980s, he has provided the rhythm for Three Chord Monty for nearly 30 years and the group continues to help raise money for breast cancer awareness. Phil joined The Chaperones in 2000 and was with the group when it opened for the legendary Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge in Atlantic City. Phil first worked with GiftBox over 10 years ago and says he has treasured the experience, “especially helping people make their special events extra special and something they will always cherish.”